Choosing an Advisor

What to look for in a property investment advisor

Track record

Can the advisor provide you with a list of satisfied clients? Client referrals are a great way to gain reassurance about the skills of an advisor. Membership of a creditable industry body is also important as it ensures practitioners are bound by a strict code of conduct.

Providing a personal plan

Every person has different financial goals, so a cookie-cutter approach to property investment will rarely work. Advisors should create a personal investment plan that addresses crucial issues such as your borrowing capacity, and how much of a financial buffer you will need to minimise risks.

You need a choice of lenders

Seek assurance from your advisor that they can help you best source a tailored mortgage solution that fits your specific needs. The choice is essential.

How they make money

Investors are entitled to get clear and transparent information from a potential advisor about their advisory fees and how they are paid.

They’ll help you learn

Attending reputable property investment seminars can teach you a lot in a day or so. Becoming financially literate is important if you want to succeed over the longer term in the property market. Solely relying on your advisor’s views adds risk.

This property is a winner because

It pays to be wary of advisors who only recommend properties to clients from one development or developer. A reputable advisor will use research to pinpoint a potential growth suburb or city, rather than just plugging a specific development.

They’ll target properties based on research

True success hinges on being able to access reputable industry research that identifies sound investment opportunities. Avoid relying on developer-sponsored data.

Yes, there are risks

Run a mile from spruikers who tell you that property investment comes with an iron-clad guarantee of making money. There are real risks. Your advisor should be able to explain those risks in detail.

Want to learn more about investing in Property? Get in touch with us today.

Choosing an Advisor FAQ

A Property Wealth Planner advices and educates people to help build their property portfolio safely and effectively. In parallel, achieving their financial goals and aspirations. They work alongside you to guide you through the process of researching potential areas to invest and investment properties, selecting lenders with the best lending policy for your individual circumstances and effectively structuring your investment finance as well as helping you avoid pitfalls and high-risk options.

The pricing will be dependent on each individual advisory and the services that you are after. Some of the services inSynergy offer are strategy consultations, property investment workshops, and property portfolio management. We offer tailored solutions to help you achieve your end result with your budget in mind. If you would like to learn more about our advisory fees, get in touch with us today.

  • A good property investment advisor is ideally someone who has experience, skills and the appropriate qualifications in several areas including property investment finance broking, so they are equipped to help you understand how to use and build equity and incorporate other finance techniques to increase returns while minimising risk.
  • They should also be a qualified investment property buyer’s agent with capability in researching the whole Australian property market.
  • Ideally, they are a qualified property investment advisor (QPIA) with the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) which is the industry body that works to raise the professional standards of operators servicing consumers in property investment.
  • A good property investment advisor should focus on your financial and lifestyle goals with a long-term focus.
  • They should be able to provide uncomplicated and friendly advice to help you fully understand how to manage your finances and maximise your returns whilst minimising risk.
  • They should be transparent with all their fees from the start.
  • An advisor should be confident in demonstrating their strategies through their in-depth research.
  • They should have your best interest in mind and be able to navigate you away from risky investments such as buying long-term off-the-plan.
  • Do they have proven success and satisfied clients? Read their reviews and determine if their clients have achieved what you are longing for.

Whilst the right qualifications and experience are of course imperative, there are other, important ‘soft skills’ to look for in a good property investment advisor.

Integrity

Does your property investment advisor have an ethical approach and a strong set of morals? Do they belong to and support the relevant industry bodies that work to uphold the standards of the property investment and mortgage broking industries?

Transparency

there should be no smoke and mirrors in the process. Your property investment advisor should openly educate you about the property investment process so that you are equipped to make the right (and most well-informed) decisions about your future. They should also be upfront about how they get paid and their fee structure.

Empathy

your property investment advisor should have the ability to put themselves into your shoes and help you manage what can be an incredibly stressful experience for some people. They should have a frank and open discussion with you about the risks and how to overcome them as well as the importance of open and honest communication and speaking your mind in order to address questions before they become concerns.

Heart

does your property investment advisor really put their heart and soul into helping you and wanting the best outcome for you?  You’re looking for someone whose values resonate with you and someone that shows genuine care and a desire to help you safely create a better, more secure future.

A Property Wealth Planner will get you off the right foot from the start for building your investment property portfolio. By having an expert examining your finances from the outside-in, you will avoid the common mistakes that investors may fall victim to. You may also not have the time dedicated to researching the property market, which a Property Wealth Planner can aid you with. Also, it is invaluable to have someone in the field to address any questions and concerns.

Just as you need a life plan for your other financial needs, you also need a carefully planned strategy for investing in property. A Property Wealth Planner will assist with the following key areas:

 

Equity Planning:

How much cash or equity is needed to invest in each property and how much cash or equity should be retained as a cash reserve buffer?

Cash Flow Management and Planning:

How to maximise and manage cash flow without increasing risk or reducing capital growth can mean the difference between a good and great property portfolio that may help you improve not only your retirement wealth and lifestyle, but also your wealth and lifestyle on the way to semi-or full retirement.

Property Market Research:

Some property markets around Australia can literally grow ten times more than other markets in the same ten-year period while having net rental returns 2-3 times higher. Knowing which markets and properties to invest in and when to sell them is crucial.

 

Many Property Wealth Planners will only advise on one city (perhaps in their home state) without being aware or educating consumers about how much better other markets can and will perform. Ensure your Property Wealth Planners have the capacity to offer Australia-wide research and can advise on at least the major capital cities across Australia.

Portfolio Planning:

You can’t really create great wealth with just one property, a good Property Wealth Planner should help you invest in a multi-property portfolio safely over the coming years. This includes helping you decide when it is better to invest in two or more cheaper properties, versus one more expensive one, when it is safe to invest in more property and how to incorporate this all into your strategy effectively and safely.

Risk Identification and Management:

Although property is considered lower risk, there are still many risks, especially with long-term off-the-plan property.  All risks can essentially be avoided or minimised with the right strategy and your Property Wealth Planner should help you plan for all eventualities.

Debt and Mortgage Planning:

Advanced mortgage broking and investment finance techniques may help increase returns by many hundreds of thousands of dollars over a ten-year period while reducing risk.

Retirement Planning: Having a strong understanding of how much property you need in addition to other assets for when you want to fully or semi-retire will help you calculate what you need to save, or can spend on a better lifestyle in the meantime.

Tax Planning:

A Property Wealth Planner doesn’t need to be an accountant, but having a good general understanding of tax as it relates to property is very important. Income tax, capital gains tax, goods and services tax and land tax must all be considered as they can impact on both your cash flow and net wealth creation through property. A Property Wealth Planner should also collaborate with your accountant to ensure their tax advice is incorporated.

We don’t make promises – investments and real estate come with risks involved. At inSynergy we are transparent and help you understand these risks and how to best manage them, but what we can guarantee is that our advice is based on recent and consistent research tailored towards your goals. Other consultants may guarantee absolute success with their services and should be treated with caution accordingly.

We’re about education and advice, not sales – Our customers’ journey will always begin with investing in themselves. Before even talking about specific investments, we encourage people to just come in and learn through our property investment education and strategy workshop. Armed with the knowledge and facts, our customers will feel empowered to make educated, astute decisions about their future.

We only ever offer healthy encouragement, never pushy sales tactics.

A traditional buyer’s agent or sales agent will take their property buying brief from the client and are often more aligned towards helping people purchase a home rather than an investment property (although there are some buyers agents that can help with investments). They are relying on you to provide them your criteria for the property search and it is often limited to your home area or state.

On the other hand, Property Wealth Planners look at your financial and individual circumstances, discuss your goals and needs and formulate a strategy that will benefit you both now, and in the long-term future. They do not offer one-size-fits-all solutions and take the time to understand their client’s circumstances and educate them on the pro’s and con’s of property investment. They will more-often have an Australia-wide view of the property markets and understand which areas are likely to provide the best capital growth over the longer term.

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